So far all I've found on the web has been either a) focussed on getting high with no discussion of pain relief, or b) a fe degrees more technical and more specialized than I was hoping for (stuff like 'this particular prescription drug potentiates this specific opiate by the following mechanism' or 'this class of chemicals operates on this pathway', described for readers who already have an extensive background in biochem). The ones I've seen that do talk about pain specifically have mostly referred to different opiates than the ones I get and potentiating agents I'm unlikely to wind up with.
Can you point out useful geeky-educated-layman web pages that discuss using this effect for pain management, or is it just that I need to dig deeper into the Google results or figure out what keywords to add?
Uh, in other words: no, I didn't already know about it, and I'm interested. If the pain-reduction effect is magnified more than the side effects, this could be useful. (Not that the opiates I've taken have tended to get me high at all, but given my druthers I don't want them to start doing so. And they do affect how hard I have to concentrate to stay on the beat on stage, an effect it would be bad to increase.)
If I can boost codeine from "turns excruciating pain into merely '#@%$ing painful'" to something more like "go from excruciating to mild discomfort", without leaving me feeling all impaired, that would be a Very Very Good Thing. If feeling thesid effects other people often describe is the price of getting the degree of pain reduction other people often describe (more than I get currently) ... well that'd still be useful, but much less so.
I'll try to find something useful. There's lots on Medline but like other stuff you found it's aimed at medical professionals. The type of opiate you're using *usually* won't matter that much. The potentiator works on a different kind of receptor, the NMDA receptor, which somehow regulates tolerance to opiates. (Presumably the nerves in question have both opiod receptors and NMDA receptors.) The potentiator is just making your cells more sensitive to whichever opiate you're using. It shouldn't change the qualitative effects of the opiate *too* much, just make them stronger. (This may or may not apply to peripheral effects like constipation, antitussive activity, etc.)
Basically all you do is add some amount of potentiator to whatever you're taking. Dextromethorphan / DXM / Robitussin is the most likely candidate since it's OTC. Depending on where you live you might find it in pills too. You'll have to experiment to find the right dose for you. At a rough guess I've seen a range from 70mg-120mg/day; I'd start at or below 50mg and work my way up. I'd also split it into 3-4 doses per day rather than taking it all at once.
This thread had some good information but is a bit confusing at times: http://www.drugbuyers.com/freeboard/showflat.php?Number=499475 Especially read the parts where they talk about magnesium supplements as a potentiator; basically it's a very good idea to make sure you're getting enough Mg, even if you're using DXM too. One good form they didn't mention is magnesium malate. Whichever kind you use, split the doses and take with meals. Work up to ~400mg/day if you can. (Too much too fast will cause diarrhea.)
I'll try to find more but here's a typical paper: http://opioids.com/morphidex/ They compared morphine with 1:1 morphine+DXM. Basically 80mg/day of DXM let the patients cut their morphine in half.
Not everyone responds to potentiators the same way. You pretty much have to try it and see. When I looked into this last year I saw some indications that the potentiators work better for people who are normally more sensitive to pain. Take that FWIW, not a guarantee.
(no subject)
Can you point out useful geeky-educated-layman web pages that discuss using this effect for pain management, or is it just that I need to dig deeper into the Google results or figure out what keywords to add?
Uh, in other words: no, I didn't already know about it, and I'm interested. If the pain-reduction effect is magnified more than the side effects, this could be useful. (Not that the opiates I've taken have tended to get me high at all, but given my druthers I don't want them to start doing so. And they do affect how hard I have to concentrate to stay on the beat on stage, an effect it would be bad to increase.)
If I can boost codeine from "turns excruciating pain into merely '#@%$ing painful'" to something more like "go from excruciating to mild discomfort", without leaving me feeling all impaired, that would be a Very Very Good Thing. If feeling thesid effects other people often describe is the price of getting the degree of pain reduction other people often describe (more than I get currently) ... well that'd still be useful, but much less so.
(no subject)
Basically all you do is add some amount of potentiator to whatever you're taking. Dextromethorphan / DXM / Robitussin is the most likely candidate since it's OTC. Depending on where you live you might find it in pills too. You'll have to experiment to find the right dose for you. At a rough guess I've seen a range from 70mg-120mg/day; I'd start at or below 50mg and work my way up. I'd also split it into 3-4 doses per day rather than taking it all at once.
This thread had some good information but is a bit confusing at times:
http://www.drugbuyers.com/freeboard/showflat.php?Number=499475
Especially read the parts where they talk about magnesium supplements as a potentiator; basically it's a very good idea to make sure you're getting enough Mg, even if you're using DXM too. One good form they didn't mention is magnesium malate. Whichever kind you use, split the doses and take with meals. Work up to ~400mg/day if you can. (Too much too fast will cause diarrhea.)
I'll try to find more but here's a typical paper:
http://opioids.com/morphidex/
They compared morphine with 1:1 morphine+DXM. Basically 80mg/day of DXM let the patients cut their morphine in half.
Not everyone responds to potentiators the same way. You pretty much have to try it and see. When I looked into this last year I saw some indications that the potentiators work better for people who are normally more sensitive to pain. Take that FWIW, not a guarantee.